So many of my tutorials require pins and over the years I’ve gotten several requests for a basic bobby pin video. So today you won’t learn a new tutorial, but I hope you learn how to use bobby pins better!

Ever wonder what the difference is between a hair pin and a bobby pin?

A hair pin typically isn’t closed at any point in the structure. It’s a long “U” shape and used to hold hair in place just like bobby pins. Hair pins are good for soft styles that may not need a whole heck of a lot of hold. A master hair pin user, though, could probably get a hair pin to work as well as a bobby pin. They are more challenging to work with, but have their own specific purpose.

Bobby pins are a “U” shape that are clamped together in order to hold the hair more firmly. Typically one side has ridges and one side is flat. Always insert the bobby pin into your hair with the ridge side against your scalp as it will hold the section of hair being worked with much better. It will also look much more polished once you complete the style.

It’s important to note that there is huge difference in drug store versus professional pins.

Occasionally, when I had a bridal client, they would offer to provide bobby pins for me and I always kindly declined. Drug store, or non-professional grade, bobby pins simply don’t hold as well. They typically have a slick coating of plastic along the metal that allows the hair to slide into the pin more easily, but that also means the hair will slide out of the pin more easily as well.

If you even remotely enjoy styling your hair, do yourself a favor and invest in professional pins. Since they are stronger and tighter than the others, it’s very likely that they can be used more than just one time. It’s a worthwhile purchase that will only make your hairstyles better.

My favorite brand is Diane. Diane pins can be purchased at professional hair supply stores, and I’ve also seen them on amazon.

Learning to use bobby pins may take a bit of practice, but as soon as you figure out how to work them with your hair texture, it should make hair styling a lot easier.

I really need to invest in some of those professional bobby pins. I had no idea they are suppose to go ridge side down. I think this may be a game changer. My oldest daughter who is five is in ballet and they are getting very particular about the ballerina bun. Mine keeps slipping out. I am hoping these tips and tricks will help. Your hair looks super cute by way.

Kate,
I really had not idea that the ridge side has to go down! I am sure, this will change my life, so thanks for that!
also your trick to hide the pins when pinning a braid in place, just amazing!
Hugs from Germany!

Thanks for the helpful tutorial!
I always had problems that my hair just fell out of the pins and i think its due to the cheap pins that i have. Totally have to invest in professional pins! Love your blog!!

I went there only because (Congress ledear and Pune MP) Suresh Kalmadi insisted that I come. I went there only when I was told that Sushil Kumar Shinde had been honoured in one of the earlier meets of the organisation. How can anyone even think of me being a ledear of any one community? If various associations like the Vaishya Samaj or some Muslim body invite me, I do go there, she told The Indian Express.Asked if she saw Muthalik there, Dikshit said as a ledear she meets hundreds of people everyday . Am I expected to know everyone whom I meet? I didn’t know about the man you are talking about. But if he’s the same man behind the vandalism (in Mangalore), he needs to condemned in the strongest possible terms. In Pune, there is talk that Kalmadi and the Congress tried to steal the thunder from the saffron parties by reaching out to the four-lakh Brahmin voter base there via the two-day gathering. Kalmadi was not available for comment.Ghaisas Guruji, who runs an institution to impart Vedic education in Pune, said: While we were organising a local meet in Dharwad (in Karnataka), we were told Muthalik should be invited to the Pune meet because he had been doing good work among the Brahmins. We didn’t known about his background at all. We were taken aback when we learnt the truth about him from television. (With ENS reports from Pune, Bangalore)

Thanks for your visit, Diana. Glad you like my tippy workspace – you’d like it beettr if it wasn’t such a mess at the moment, I think. The flowers are coming on well, despite ongoing glue gun problems – new one from Ebay even worse than my existing one – it only worked at all after I tweaked it, and when it’s hot, the glue pours out all over the place when I’m not pulling the trigger! Decided to get a seriously good one, but it’s cost me. Worth it in the long run as I use a glue gun a lot. If you want decent tools, I find you have to pay for them… I wasted most of the afternoon coming to this decision!Shoshi #10

Yes! In the summers I style hair for weddings, and there is usually someone who provides their own bobby pins in an effort to be helpful (usually this person has a lot of hair). I then pull out my mega box from the professional beauty supply store, and say, “I think I have enough for you!” Haha! A good bobby pin goes a long way. Great tutorial! And thanks for spreading the word on how to properly use a bobby pin wavy side down.

love this! i took your advice a while back and ordered the diane pins from amazon. they are so much better than the store brand or even the ones i had found from sally’s. thanks for sharing your insider secrets with us! 🙂

First time commenting, I’ve watched so many of your tutorials and have learned soo much about how to have better hair! Thanks for always making it achievable and easy to learn 😉 this was very helpful, esp how to pin loose hairs from a messy bun, I deal w those all the time.

I figured out a while back that ridge side was supposed to go down, but it still baffles me that all the decorative bobby pins I find put the decoration on the ridge side! (Can we please tell these companies they’re doing it wrong??)

Also- is there any truth/validity to doing a “cross” with two bobby pins, pinned in opposite directions, for a better, more secure hold? When pinned, it makes an X shape. I have incredibly thick hair, and while I’m probably putting too much hair into a cheap pin, I’ve heard from many places to interlock pins and didn’t know if this has benefits, or if it is better to use multiple pins in multiple places.

This is great Kate! I have very thick and fine hair and can never seem to get these pins looking right. Definitely going to practice these tips. Thanks so much!
PS- would you mind sharing the color of your bathroom walls. Absolutely love the color!!

That was awesome! I’ve been doing the braid bobby pin hold since the first tutorial of yours that I saw and it really does make all the difference!! One question I still have is:
How do you open the bobby pin without using your teeth?? 🙂 Thanks, girl!

I bought some Diane bobby pins a few months back (on your recommendation), and I can attest to the difference in quality! I could not hold my thick hair in a bun or even simply wrap hair around a pony tail, when I was using the regular drugstore brands! Game changer! I have no problem achieving these hairstyles now that I am using Diane pins! Woot!

I totally agree on the use of professional pins. Diane are great bobby pins, Marianna are second best, but I have to say Flamingo hairpins are no contest the best hairpins. Thin and lightweight. They sit in the hair undetectable and effortlessly.

Genius!! I remember a while back reading that most women put bobby pins in upside down. I tried to switch mine but for some reason it was like learning how to use bobby pins all over again, so I just gave up. I’m SO excited to try some of your tips out!!! I deal with so many of these hair issues on a weekly basis 🙂

Mystery solved! This was so helpful. It’s the little things in life, right? I use Marianna Supreme pins from Sally, and they are good, but I am definitely going to order the Diana’s from Amazon. I, too, had been using them upside down at the suggestion of a professional. Turns out, they hold just as well the correct way, and look better to boot!

I can totally attest to the quality of professional bobby pins; for years I was using cheap ones from the drugstore and I went through a package a month, because they’d slide out or even fly out of my hair. On a whim one day I stopped by a Sally’s and bought a tub of professional bobby pins (I can’t recall the brand, this was several years ago and I’ve lost the label) and I’m still working my way through it, with at least half of the tub still untouched.

I had no idea I was using bobby pins wrong!! Yikes!
I definitely agree with you on drugstore vs professional though, I went to Sally’s and bought some nice ones a few years ago and I have never gone back to drugstore!
-Lesliehttp://www.withloveleslie.com

Wow thank you!!! Okay quick question though, I cannot get my hair to tease…is there something I could be doing wrong? I try and try and try and it just falls down and won’t stay teased…I have tried product like dry shampoo but can’t get it to work? Should i be trying a different hairspray or something to that effect?

So helpful! Those basics are something I never learned, so I feel like I have a new world of hair opportunities now :). Have you ever done tutorials on working with Day 2 hair? I recently started using dry shampoo to help, but I try to only wash my hair every other day. On Day 2, I sometimes struggle with styling, but I find my hair slightly less cooperative…

I completely agree about the quality of bobby pins! I actually came to that conclusion on accident. I just happened to be at the beauty supply store, so I picked some up and they worked so much better. There were several very useful things in this tutorial that I didn’t know too. Thanks!

From the moment that I started doing my own hair, I put the bobby pin in ridge side down. EVERYONE told me I was doing it wrong so I switched. I have always felt “off” with doing my hair with bobby pins with ridge side up. It always looked and felt weird to me. Thank you for sharing this so I know I am not crazy!….and I have now switched back to the proper method.

I can attest to the Diane bobby pins as well. Bought them on Kate’s recommendation a few months ago, and they make all the difference. I have a lot of hair, but the texture is fine, and the cheap ones just slide out of my hair. They are easy to get on amazon.

THANK YOU. I have in my Amazon cart already the Diane Bobby Pins. My hair is dark brown; I trust the black ones would be better than the Bronze. My generic bobby pins biggest issue is they twist; once they have been used once or twice. Guessing because I have thick hair, or they are just cheap. I cannot get them untwisted, hence, they are useless.

Where on your blog do you talk about how to open up a bobby pin without your mouth? I watched one of your hair tutorials and you mentioned that you instructed us at one time, but I cannot find it in your search engine. Would love to see this.

Absolutely love your blog and all that you share. Very talented; and you are definitely blessed with a wonderful family.

I have never used Diane bobby pins, but I will give them a try. I have been using these: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=26540726 Curved bobby pins for a while. I love them. They fit more snugly against your head since they’re curved. You can get them at Ulta. Just wanted to pass on that little nugget. 🙂 Love your blog!

Perfect timing Kate, I am attending a wedding this weekend (village in Melton in Suffolk UK) I have been watching all your tutorials and am going to attempt a an up do. So showing me how to use pins is great. I have also been mastering the GHD curl, thanks to The IPad playing you tube whilst my two little boys munch on their cornflakes as I get ready for work and school run.

I was just yelling at my Goody bobby pins the other day (they provide little to no hold for me)… then I looked online and discovered that I was wearing it wrong and that Goody is not really that good. 😉 So I bought some Sally Beauty Supply ones and they are soooooooooooooooo much better.

I also had no idea the bobby pins were supposed to go wavy side down. Now I get why you have the bobby pin on your logo straight side up. 🙂 I’ve been following your blog for a few years now and I’ve been getting better at trying new hair styles thanks to your tutorials. Keep up the good work!

Kate your hair tutorials are always so helpful! I have fine hair so I plan to try many of these tricks. Also, I was one of those ladies wearing their bobby pins upside down until I saw one of your previous tutorials a year ago 😉

Best hair tutorial ever! I’m so simple when it comes to hair but am always wanting to use bobby pins. I knew the trick of putting them in with them flat side up, but could never seem to master a good hold! Thank you!!

Great tutorial! Bobby pins don’t like me! I recently watched your messy bun tutorial and have been practicing it on my own hair. But what to do with the bobby pins has been a problem. I’ve been pushing each one in towards the elastic so they end up pushing each other out if you understand what I mean. In what direction should I put them in? Thanks!

Such great tips… thank you!!! (now all I needed was for you to do a full turn so I could see your haircut from all sides without any pins/styling so I could show my stylist….I am thinking of adding bangs back into my look and your length all around is just what is was thinking!)

I have a random question and I didn’t know where to ask it! My question is: are there any products that actually help your hair grow faster?
I’m growing mine out, and it is healthy, moisturized, and never been colored. My hair grows at a regular pace, but I’m getting a little impatient with it since I want it to be another six or so inches longer 🙂

Great video! I didn’t ever realize how much of a difference the quality of pin makes! I even went to hair school and never caught that and I swear I paid attention! The video fixed a couple problems I’ve had, like now I’m using hair spray on my crap pins until I lose them all. I still have one big issue and that is no matter how hard I press these babies in against my scalp, no matter how much hair I fold over to go back over top later, you can still see the pin it’s just there as if I made no effort at all to hide it ( yeah styling wasn’t a strong suit in school ;)). Is this a practice makes perfect deal or am I doing something wrong? I do have fine hair but theres a ton of it so I feel like I’m making more effort than should have to.

I did know to put bobby pins ridge side down but only because you taught me a few years ago…still loved the video. So excited to try the pony tail trick!! Love the pictures of David and I’m so happy that things are going well for you. Love, Becca

LOVED THIS!! At 43, I am so hair-illiterate and I work in a glass shop, so pony tails are must 99% of my days! Love all of your hairstyles and the tutorials! I don’t think I have ever commented before but thank you so much for teaching us the basics!! And for all the cute hairstyles that even non-fashion hair people like me can do!

I learned the correct way to put in a bolo by pin a few years ago an it revolutionized my hair styles! But the other tricks you showed…amazing! I can’t wait to try them! It looks so much better how you did it on all of those. Lol! Thanks!
Alesha <3

I have a question thought after learning that the ridge goes down.. I tried it yesterday and on that side of the bobby pin, and you can see it on your picture at the top as well, it arches up so it scratches the heck out of my scalp. Why would they make it like that? I know that’s why I have always done it “backwards” my whole life.

Hi Kate!
I purchased the Diane bobby pins and they have such a large opening that I cannot get it to hold any hair! Is this normal or did I get a bad batch? I was feeling even more hair-challenged when I popped these babies opened and started to pin away. Help!

You are amazing! I wish I had found you years ago. I love doing new styles but I don’t have the knowledge that you do so I cannot wait to try your tutorials! Yay for
You and sharing you talent!!! Thank you so much!

I started watching your styling tutorials last night and I am officially addicted. Discovering I’ve been putting bobby pins in upside down all my life is a revelation, like OF COURSE! Loving all your tips for getting more volume in my very soft, silky, fine straight hair – it just doesn’t hold curl (even hairdressers have failed to hold curl in my hair) but I’m hoping your tips will help! Cheers

I find that most people use the bobby pins upside down too! Whenever I tell anyone that they are meant to go ridge side down, they are amazed! I will make sure I buy professional ones from now on too, thank you!!

Oh.My.Goodness. I am 44 years old and just realized I have been putting my bobby pins in the wrong way my entire hair styling life…. :/ I love your blog and your tutorials. It has helped me with so many up do’s and messy buns. 😉 I have a question….what comb do you use for your teasing? I have a teasing comb but my hair doesn’t seem to stay “teased” or keep the volume. Thanks so much for making it easy to have beautifully styled hair every day. Your tutorials and tips are marvelous!!!! 😉

Just discovered your blog and binge-watched 8 tutorials (anti socially sitting on the sofa next to my fiancé with my headphones on, while he watches Top Gear)… All brilliant! Very much enjoyed your makeup posts too, and will definitely be exploring your other topics tomorrow – probably while I should be working…!

Hi,
i love your blog and would love you to check mine out. it is http://www.everythinghairstyles.com
i give tutorails and hair tips and trick. I put up an new tutorial almost everyday.
Love You and Thanks!

This video is fantastic!!!! Thank u so much for sharing! My daughter has a dance recital next weekend, and I was in a panic knowing that bobby pins always slide right out of her hair. (They have to sweep back one side and clip with a flower). I learned several tips and tricks in this video that will help greatly! Thank you!!

Thank you! I’m one of those women who put their bobby pins in upside down… I’m 56, and still have no idea how to put my hair up, or even pin a small braid at the side of my head like that. Thank you – I’ll be watching your tutorials and, hopefully, will get my curly long hair up into lovely ‘dos’.

Hi,
I’m wondering if you or another reader could provide a photo or details about the Diane bobby pins you use, or make any other recommendations for bobby pins? There are a couple of different kinds of Diane logos on the bobby pins on Amazon and I want to make sure I get the right kind! thanks so much!

I see that you haven’t replied recently, so I hope I’m not too late to this discussion. 🙂
How do you pick up your Bobby pins & not have to use your teeth to open them? This baffles me in all your videos. This tute was very helpful for me–I love to do hair, but I’m Bobby pin challenged. Lol

I watched it yesterday and this morning tried your suggestions for the twist/braid pinning of bangs. AMAZING. I have a lot of thin, baby fine hair (the kind that suction cups to my head) and i have never had this success with my bangs not falling out 30 seconds later. And I just wanted to say thank you for this video (and the others, really gives helpless girls like me some hope)! 🙂